Using IPTV as health monitor

ABSTRACT

An IPTV can receive a user name and present a screen enabling a user by means of a remote control to select health information categories, inputting numeric parameters into the selected categories which can be uploaded to an Internet server for analysis and viewed by the user for subsequent monitoring/charting.

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates generally to using Internet Protocol TVs(IPTVs) as health monitors.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Internet access through TVs is typically provided by essentiallyprogramming the TV (often referred to as an Internet Protocol TV, orIPTV) as though it were a computer executing a browser. As understoodherein, such devices can be leveraged for many novel uses owing to theirconnectivity to the Internet.

As also understood herein, with an aging populace it is important toprovide people, particularly the elderly, with an easy, intuitive meansto track their health. In this way, they can better adjust their habits,meals, etc. to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Present principles seek toleverage TV technology, which is readily understood and frequently usedby people, to assist in enabling people to monitor their health.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an IPTV has a housing, a display on the housing, a networkinterface, a TV tuner, and a processor in the housing controlling thedisplay and TV tuner and communicating with the Internet through thenetwork interface. An input device communicates with the processor. Theprocessor executes logic that includes presenting a first user interface(UI) on the display enabling a person to log in to a health monitoringfeature with a user name and password and/or to create a new account,such that the IPTV maintains health records by user name, so that it maymonitor plural people. The processor also presents a second UI on thedisplay listing multiple parameters from which a person may select oneor more to monitor by means of the input device. Further, the processorpresents a third UI on the display responsive to a person selecting aparameter from the second UI allowing a person to enter by means of theinput device numbers associated with a measurement of the parameter, andalso records a time of receipt of the numbers. A fourth UI is presentedon the display presenting a history of measurements of the parameterassociated with the person.

In some embodiments the parameters on the second UI include “bloodpressure” and “blood glucose”. Numbers representing a parameter may bereceived automatically from a parameter monitor.

In examples, the fourth UI includes a graph of time on an x-axis versusparameter value on a y-axis. The fourth UI can also present upper and/orlower limit lines established per standard of care guidance as to whatupper and/or lower “safe” limits of the parameter being displayed are.

Additionally, in example implementations the processor presents a fifthUI on the display when the numbers associated with a measurement of theparameter are within guidelines, advising the user of such. The fifth UIcan be presented automatically on the display after a predeterminedperiod of time during which the fourth UI appears on the display.Similarly, the processor may present a sixth UI on the display when thenumbers associated with a measurement of the parameter are not withinguidelines, advising the user of such. In this latter case the processorcan automatically contact a medical caregiver responsive to the numbersassociated with a measurement of the parameter not being withinguidelines, with the user being afforded the choice of disabling andenabling the automatic call feature.

In another aspect, a method includes receiving, at a TV, user inputindicating an identity of a user. The method also includes receiving, atthe TV, numeric input representing a measurable physical parameter ofthe user, and storing a time associated with the numeric input alongwith the input. A visualization of the user's history of the measurablephysical parameter is presented on the TV.

In another aspect, an apparatus includes a video display, a networkinterface, a TV tuner, and a processor controlling the display and TVtuner and communicating with the Internet through the network interface.An input device communicates with the processor, which executes logicthat includes receiving user input indicating an identity of a user andreceiving numeric input representing a measurable physical parameter ofthe user. The logic also includes storing a time associated with thenumeric input along with the input. A visualization of the user'shistory of the measurable physical parameter is presented on thedisplay.

The details of the present invention, both as to its structure andoperation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and inwhich:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system in accordance withpresent principles; and

FIGS. 2-7 are example screen shots that can be presented on the IPTV inaccordance with present principles for enabling a person to monitor hishealth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an IPTV 12 includes a housing 14 bearinga digital processor 16. The processor 16 can control a visual display 18and an audible display 20 such as one or more speakers. To undertakepresent principles, the processor 16 may access one or more computerreadable storage media 22 such as but not limited to RAM-based storage(e.g., a chip implementing dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) or flashmemory or disk-based-storage. Software code implementing present logicexecutable by the IPTV 12 may also be stored on one of the memoriesshown to undertake present principles.

The processor 16 can receive user input signals from various inputdevices including a remote control device 24, a point and click devicesuch as a mouse, a keypad, etc. A TV tuner 26 may be provided to receiveTV signals from a source such as a set-top box, satellite receiver,cable head end, terrestrial TV signal antenna, etc. Signals from thetuner 26 are sent to the processor 16 for presentation on the display 18and speakers 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, a network interface 28 such as a wired or wirelessmodem or wireless telephony transceiver communicates with the processor16 to provide connectivity to a wide area network such as the Internet.Double arrows in FIG. 1 indicate network communication betweencomponents over wired and/or wireless links. In this way, the IPTV 12can communicate with a management server 30 on the Internet withprocessor 32 accessing one or more non-transitory computer readablestorage media 34 and communicating with a wide area network such as theInternet via a network interface 36.

In some implementations one or more physiological monitors 38 such as ablood pressure monitor, a blood glucose monitor, a heart rate monitor, aweight gauge a thermometer, etc. may be provided that can be engagedwith a patient to measure a physical parameter and then automaticallytransmit the result of the measurement to the IPTV. The monitor 38 shownin FIG. 1 includes a monitor processor 40 accessing a computer readablestorage medium 42 and communicating with the IPTV 12 using a wired orwireless communication interface 44 such as a network interface, aBluetooth interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, etc.

FIGS. 2-7 illustrate example principles. FIG. 2 shows that a userinterface (UI) 46 may be presented on the display 18 to enable a personto log in to the health monitoring feature with a user name and passwordor to create a new account. Thus, it will be appreciated that the IPTV12 maintains health records by user name, so that it may monitormultiple people confidentially.

Assuming successful log in, a UI 48 may be presented on the display 18as shown in FIG. 3, listing multiple parameters from which a person mayselect one or more to monitor. For example, “blood pressure” may beselected to cause a UI 50 shown in FIG. 4 to appear, containing fieldsinto which the user may enter his systolic and diastolic numbers asmeasured by the physiological monitor 38 using the keys on the RC 24.Or, upon selection of “blood pressure” the IPTV 12 may automaticallycontact nearby blood pressure monitors such as the physiological monitor38 when implemented as such and request that the monitor 38 transmit tothe IPTV 12 the most recent measurement. Regardless of how received, thedate and time of receipt of the measurement preferably is recorded.Subsequent to inputting “blood pressure” the user may return to the UI48 shown in FIG. 3 to select “glucose” to input the person's recentlymeasured glucose or “heart rate” to input the user's recently measuredheart rate, etc. In example implementations the UI 48 may includeadditional parameters that may be defined or edited by users.

The user may elect to invoke the UI 52 of FIG. 5 to view the history ofthe parameter input in FIG. 4. As shown, in one embodiment the UI 52presents a graph 54 of time (on the x-axis) versus parameter value (onthe y-axis) so that the user may see how the parameter is varying overtime. Also, upper and/or lower limit lines 56 may be provided which areestablished per standard of care guidance as to what the upper and/orlower “safe” limits of the parameter being displayed are. In this way,the user can compare his measured parameter against medicallyestablished guidelines.

When the user is within the guidelines, the UI 58 of FIG. 6 may bepresented on the display 18 after, e.g., a predetermined period of timeduring which the UI 52 of FIG. 5 appears. The UI 58 informs the userthat his measurements for the parameter are within normal guidelines. Incontrast, if a measurement falls outside the guidelines, the UI 60 ofFIG. 7 may appear, advising the user to contact his medical caregiver.Also, in the account set up the user may elect to input caregivercontact information such as telephone number or network address oremail, and if desired when the UI 60 of FIG. 7 is presented theprocessor 16 may also automatically transmit the out-of-specificationmeasurement to the caregiver's address or telephone number (by, e.g.,text entry). The automatic alert feature described above may be enabledand disabled as desired by the user using a monitor setup UI listing theautomatic contact feature with selector elements for enabling anddisabling it.

While the particular USING IPTV AS HEALTH MONITOR is herein shown anddescribed in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matterwhich is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Method, comprising: receiving from a userinterface, input indicating an identity of a person; receiving fromdirect user input and/or from a biological sensor with the person, inputrepresenting a physical parameter of the person; storing a timeassociated with the numeric input along with the input representing thephysical parameter; outputting for display a visualization the person'shistory of the measurable physical parameter; and outputting for displayat least one selectable parameter selectable to input numbersrepresentative thereof, the at least one selectable parameter including“blood pressure” and/or “blood glucose”, wherein the visualizationincludes upper and/or lower limit lines representing upper and/or lower“safe” limits of the parameter being displayed.
 2. The method of claim1, comprising presenting a message automatically on the display after apredetermined period of time during which the visualization appears onthe display advising that the numeric input is not within guidelines. 3.The method of claim 2, comprising automatically contacting a medicalcaregiver responsive to the numeric input not being within guidelines.4. The method of claim 3, comprising enabling a user to disable andenable automatically contacting a medical caregiver.
 5. Apparatuscomprising: processor configured for controlling a display and forcommunicating with the Internet through a network interface; theprocessor configured for accessing instructions on a computer readablestorage medium for configuring the processor for executing logicincluding: receiving first input indicating an identity of a user;receiving second input representing a physical parameter of the user;storing a time associated with the second input; presenting on thedisplay a visualization of the user's history of the measurable physicalparameter; and outputting for presentation on the display at least oneselectable parameter selectable to input numbers representative thereof,the at least one selectable parameter including “blood pressure” and/or“blood glucose”, wherein the visualization includes a graph of timeversus parameter value and upper and/or lower limit lines indicatingupper and/or lower “safe” limits of the parameter being displayed. 6.The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the logic executed by the processorincludes presenting on the display the at least one selectableparameters.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the visualizationincludes a graph of time on an x-axis versus parameter value on ay-axis.
 8. Apparatus comprising: processor configured for controlling adisplay and for communicating with the Internet through a networkinterface; the processor configured for accessing instructions on acomputer readable storage medium for executing the instructions forconfiguring the processor for: presenting a first user interface (UI) onthe display enabling a person to log in to a health monitoring feature,such that the apparatus maintains health records by user name, so thatit may monitor plural people; presenting a second UI on the displaylisting multiple parameters from which a person may select one or moreto monitor by means of the input device; presenting a third UI on thedisplay allowing a person to enter by means of the input device numbersassociated with a measurement of the parameter; recording at least atime of receipt of the numbers; presenting a fourth UI on the displaypresenting a history of measurements of the parameter associated withthe person; wherein the fourth UI presents upper and/or lower limitlines established per standard of care guidance as to what upper and/orlower “safe” limits of the parameter being displayed are.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 8, wherein the parameters on the second UI include“blood pressure” and “blood glucose”.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8,wherein numbers representing a parameter are received automatically froma parameter monitor.
 11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fourth UIincludes a graph of time on an x-axis versus parameter value on ay-axis.
 12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor whenexecuting the instructions s configured to present a fifth UI on thedisplay responsive to the numbers associated with a measurement of theparameter being within guidelines, the fifth UI being presentedautomatically on the display after a predetermined period of time duringwhich the fourth UI appears on the display.
 13. The apparatus of claim12, wherein the processor when executing the instructions presents asixth UI on the display when the numbers associated with a measurementof the parameter are not within guidelines, advising the user of such.14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor when executing theinstructions automatically contacts a medical caregiver responsive tothe numbers associated with a measurement of the parameter not beingwithin guidelines.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a user candisable and enable the processor automatically contacting a medicalcaregiver responsive to the numbers associated with a measurement of theparameter not being within guidelines.